Chair.



PAT'ENTED MAY 14', 1907.

o. L. MILLER.l

CHAIR. 'APPLICATION rILBD'Nov. 24, 1905.

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CHARLES L. MILLER, OF BELLAIRE, OHIO.

CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1905. Serial No. 288,864.

Patented May 14, 1907.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

`,pilBe it known that I, CHARLES L. MILLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bellaire, in the county of Belmont and State 'of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

To this end, I have constructed a theater` chair which can be easily and quickly folded into the floor of a theater in case a rapid exit yis to be made by the audience in case of fire or like instance. The chair when folded in the -floor of a theater provides a clear floor space which may be used for other purposes, but at any time seating capacity is desired, my improved chairs can be easily and quickly erected to firmly support persons comprising an audience or the like assemblage.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and referring to the drawings accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation ofmy improved chair in an open fposition, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view o the same, Fig. 3. is a side elevation of the chair in a collapsed or folded position illustrating its casing in section, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the same, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the arms of the chair, Fig. 6 is a top plan of the back of the chair, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the back proper. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the bottom of the chair seat in a folded position. Fig. 9 is a detail view partly in central vertical'section of one of the side plates of the chair housing.

To put my invention into practice, I employ a rectangular casing l, having an upper flanged edge 2. 'Ihis casing is adapted to be constructed in the fioor 3 of an auditorium or room in which my improved chair is to be used. In one end of the casing, I mount two diametrically opposed cleats 4, 4 and adjacent to said cleats is pivotally mounted, as at 5, a chair housing 6. The chair housing is adapted to fold into the casing 1 and is inclosed therein .by a two-part hinged lid 7 carried by one of the top flanged edges of the casing. When the chair housing is in a vertical position, it is adapted to rest upon the cleats 4, 4 of said casing.

The chair housingv 6 consists of side plates 8, 8, a front plate 9 and a rear plate 10. The side plates 8, 8 are provided with vertically disposed slots 11 and the front edge of the plate 9 is cut away as at 1.2 in order that ac# cess may be had to said slots from the front side of the housing. The front sides 14 of the slots 11 are cut away as at 15 and in said cut away portions are pivotally mounted spring held angular strips 16. The front plate 9 of the housing is slotted as at 17, 17, and in said slot is mounted a semi-cylindrical bar 18 to which is attached the ends of the straps 16 which protrude through the openings 12 of the side plates 8, 8. The bar 18 centrally of its length is provided. with a knob 19 in order that the bar may be easily manipulated as will be presently described.

In the housing 6 is mounted a cross bar 20 having its ends cut away as at 21, 21. The ends of the cross bar are ada ted to travel in the slots 11, 11 of the side p ates 8, 8 of the housing 6, and the top edge of the bar is pro'- vided with two ierced lugs 22, 22 between which is pivotally mounted a chair seat 23. Securedto the rear face of the bar 20 vis 4a chair back casing 24, the sides of which are cut away as at 25 forming a back rest 26. The sides of the casing 24 are provided with plates 27, 27 and pivotally mounted between the back rest 26 and the plates 27 by pins 28 arearm rests 29, 29. The arm rests are slotted in their underneath faces as at 30, 30, and pivotally mounted in the slotted arm rests by pivotally connected to lugs 33, 33 carried at TOO IOS

the sides of vthe seat 23. ln the back casing 24 is mounted a back 34 carrying a depending yoke 35 and depending pins 36, 36. The back 34 is provided with a hand opening 37 and is retained in the easing 24 by a block 3S which extends through the yoke 35 of the back and prevents it 'rom being entirely disengaged from the casing. The top front edge of the casing is provided with openings 39, 39, the object of which will be presently described.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, l have illustrated a chair in a collapsed and folded position and by referring to said figures it will be observed that when the chair is placed within the casing 1, that the two-part lid 7 snugly fits within the casing, entirely closing the same. To set the chair up, the lid 7 is opened and the chair housing 6 swung upon its pivot to a vertical position, until it rests upon the cleats 4, 4. When in a vertical position, the part 7 of the lid 7 is folded under the iid and the lid lowered, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to retain the chair housing 6 in a vertical position. The knob 19 of the bar 1S is now gripped and the bar pulled outwardly causing the straps 16, 16 to nieve within the cut away portion 15 of the side plates 8, 3, and while the straps are held in this position, the seat 23 and the back casing 24 are elevated to the top of the slots 11,

'11. Then they have reached this position,

the bar 13 is released which permits of the straps 16 assuming their normal position in the cut away portions 21, 21 of the bar 20 thereby supporting said bar in its raised position. The seat 23 is now thrown downwardly, 'this operation placing the arms in position to be used as a chair. The back 34 is nowV gripped in the opening 37 formed therein, then elevated and moved forward until the pins 36, 36 are in alinement with the openings 39, 39 formed in the back casing, at which time the back is lowered untii the pins enter the openings whereby the back. 34 is locked in direct alinement Awith the back rest 26. i

The back plate 10 of the chair casing 6 is cut away as at 40 which permits of the back casing, together with the back 34, being inclined to conform to the natural position of a body when in a sitting position.

To collapse the chair and fold it within the casing 1, the back 34 is elevated until the pins 36, 36 have become disengaged from the back casing, at which time the back 34 is lowered into its casing. The seat 23 is thrown upwardly, the arm supports 32, 32 receding within the slots of the arm rests 29, while the arm rests engage in the cut away portions 25 of the back casing, permitting the seat to be folded against the back casing. The bar 18 is now pulled outwardly to remove the straps 16, 16 from beneath the back casing, at which time said casing descends l into the housing 6. The housing is now folded downwardly into the casing 1, and the lid 7 closed upon said housing.

From the construction of my improved chair, it will be seen that a simple, strong, durable and inexpensive chair is provided which can be easily and quickly collapsed and folded under the lloor surface of an auditorium or compartment in which it is used.

The material from which my improved chair is constructed, also the upholstering olI the chair, is arbitrary, and suoli changes in the construction and operation, as are permissible by the appended claims, may be iesorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

that l claim and desire to sei-.ure by Letters Patent, is

1. A chair of the character described, comprising a casing having a hinged lid, a chair housing mounted in said casing, a back casing slidably mounted in said housing and provided with a seat pivotally connected thereto, a back inovably mounted in said back casing, arms connected to the seat and back casing, means for limiting` the movement of the back in its casing, and means carried by the back for engagement with the easing to hold said back in an elevated position.

2. In a folding chair, the combination with a casing adapted to receive the chair in its folded. form, and having a hinged lid or cover, of a chair comprising a chair housingl having slotted sides, a cross bar mounted for movement in said slotted'sides, a chair pivotally connected to said cross bar, means carried by the chair housing for engagement with said cross bar to hold the latter in its elevated position, a back casing teleseoping into the chair housing, arms pivotally connected to the back easing, arm supports pivotally conL nected to said arms and to the seat, a back movable in the back casing, means carried by the back and engaging means located. in the back casing for limiting the movement of said back, and means for holding the back in. an elevated position.

3. ln a folding chair, the combination of a chair housing having slotted sides, a cross bar movable in said slotted sides, a seat pivotally connected to said cross bar, means carried by the front plate of said housing for engagement with said cross bar for holding the latter in an elevated position, a back casing, arms pivoted to said back easing, arm supports pivoted to the said arms and to said seat, a back mounted for sliding movement. in the back casing, a loop farried by said back, and a block within the bach casing to be engaged by said loop to limit the upward movement of the back in its casing.

4. In a folding chair, the combination with a chair housing, and a seat adapted to slide within the housing, of a back easing also adapted to slide within the housing and IOO the chair seat7 a back slidably mounted in' the back casing, and pins carried by said back to engage with the back casing and hold the back in an elevated position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES L. MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. E. JASPER, E. MITCHELL. 

